PlayStation 4 Update To Broaden Capture Options

Sony announced today some important changes on the way to its sharing technology on the PlayStation 4. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony’s Scott McCarthy discussed the new functionalities, which are on the way to PS4 through a software update in the “upcoming weeks.”

Most significantly for the majority of players, the new update will allow you to export and save videos and screenshots to a USB drive. In addition, Sony is adding in what it claims to be a simple but richly featured video editor. Finally, the update will include an HDCP off option for capturing via HDMI, a feature that makes a big difference for gamers (and journalists) looking to create longer clips of gameplay.

Beyond this update in the near future, Sony is also working with Twitch and Ustream on some changes that will come in an even later update. The new features will allow players to archive their Twitch broadcasts as well as broadcast at a newly higher 720p resolution.

Our TakeThe ability to save videos and screenshots directly to USB is great news for PS4 gamers, and the other changes planned are smart steps to implement. These features are some of the most commonly requested by fans of the sharing function on the PS4. It’s hard to interpret any of this as bad news, unless you’re a company competing with Sony and the PlayStation 4.